Telegram-herald., 1887-07-14
SUDDEN SUMMONS.
a s-si aissorx "a : sSrseksd Lifs-DsssFtsa
- nsE Hasnaaa aaa feaaessa ~
Llbs1slae ehs ~ a. started az
llle - -1aaas


breath aEc sas dsad-
zhese are 6nt few people n The Valley
CisF- particularly those sh0 have resided
hsFs Tor the past 4aartsr Of csntury-
are zazcqu4lnied with Nellie smith. for ia
sunshine and n shatoz she has oesn
prominently before the public. Nellie
enllth Ike many another xoman. wAs the
victim II Aaa pefldy and While her Gins
we're clany they we're a. east paruaily
2uoaed iof bY her good deeds while on
earth.
In .lsG5. whsn the Eagls Hotel vas one
of tLa pri-lcipat tayerns "a Grand Rapids,
@sixe MCMAHON pretty bright
syed. Winsoms girl 0f about
- Yeas of sEe. fnund employ
menf with Landlord j n. Johnston aud was
dGly i1st4le ed a. waitress. her conduct
ws4 at al times exemplary, her dsnleaEor
Eslius1 and -ady Ike and abe made many
friends Born on farm IN Plalnueld
tOsusaip. he's iafher being quite well-to-d0.
the <iri Ezs wholly QaacQ tainted with city
sAgs and she was 81 Iimid, retiring na-
ture.
While waiting on the table At The Eagle
one eqealns az supper lime. travelling
nal insu.tsd the gln Nellie and she came
crying 60 Landlord Johnston. To insult
Nellie meant az uprising among tae board
srs az TIE aolel. and George Eyans, a well
known citizen. stepped forward as her
champion. re summarly elected the man
Tom The hotel, using considerable force
ia the operation and the nan died sooa
sfter from tie sfieet Of the injuries received
Ia the alteration. Evans Gas arrested
tired and convicted OF marslaugkter and
Nas scalesced 70 a term OF years ia the
Jackson prison. dying before his release.
In 1857 the Wedding bells rang out merri-
" ~ the Y alley City aud everyone united
"a sending dOuefs and congratulations 10
the happy c0uflo Who were about 10
embark on the journey through life together.
The contracting parties were pretty Nellie
McHah0o and Warren smith. brother Of
Gen. 1 q. smith. the present superintead-
ent OF Police, and son Of the late CantOn
smi1h who was then owner and proprietor
CT the National Hosei. .twhsre the Morton
nOw stands. Warren smith was then rising
ycung man. considered the nnest book-kee5-
er in the state and ( real manager Of the
hotel. and bright prospects were IN store
for him and MS newly mEde wife. Tn
fortunately Warren was somewhat wild
and bis happiness seemed % turn MS head,
for Ae began drinking heavily. over his
bright prospects came cloud IN the shape
Of The demon drink and about SIX months
kites bis marriage. without word of ex-
plsnafion be lefs for the West without even
saying good bye. For three months the
forszken wife worked &C the hotel, all the
time being persuaded By her husbands
relatives 90 procure = divorce from him. on
the ground-as they claimed-that he was
unworthy OF her.
Ten months after marriage she went 20
the home OF ner sister in
Muskegon and couple Of months later
her son and heir was born. For time
sac worked Ia the Ofd National Hotel. at
Nusksgon and then removed 20 this city
where for Two years she struggled 10 care
for herself and boy o. taxing in plain sew
ing. How sue struggled 10 keep the wolf
from ths door none but those who were in
timstsly acquainted with her knsw. She
vas too proud % humble herself before
her husbands relatives ald there were
times during the two years when'she actual
ly suffered tor food and nre. On one cold
winters night without wood wherewith
70 keep her baby warm, IN a mo hers des
pair and devotion, she kept tie childs
hands and feet from fre~nng by putting
them in her mouth. All this was az a time
when her relatives were aoundantly
able % provide for her yet during all that
time size never once faltered. and no man
or woman could breathe aught deTogatory
TO her character.
Like the pretty Annie in the poem of
Osfier Joe, there came % her, after the
two years struggle. tempter. He was
nan vel known % the people of the pres
eni day. and is now 4 pronounced temper
snce fanatic and bright and sHining light
in one Of tse largest churches in this city.
BE came az a time when she was Ill utterly
without food and discouraged aud be pic
tursd 70 her the hfe 0f ease which she
might lead II she would bat say the word.
she Struggled against the tsmpter. bat his
oily tongue tispelled the various objections
of three crisp one hundred dollar
bills proved TOO much Tor her 20 with
ssnd aRd she Consented-fell like many
another weak, defenseless woman has
before and since.
The frss step taken on the downward
course led TO 4 oonuua,ion If the evil and
she soon drii,ed into the vsss whirlpool OF
iniQuity which numbers its victims By the
tens Of thousands. When old enough she
sent aer son 10 the Catholic institution at
Notre Dame. Ind.. where be remained for
number OF years. and never-dlring her
lie tine has ne made his bone with her
for though mother snd son often met it WAS
not beneath the roof rhich sheltered vo-
men whose lives we're cUt black spot on
the eart0.
About thirteen years ago she became the
proprietress Of a house Of iil-fsme ia
this ciiy. a. No. 4 Fearrst occupying the
old frame hotel building near she bridge
known ss the Empire House Some sixnt
years sg0 she removed 70 her present l0ca-
uon on kenf-st. aud VAS The owner Of the
property which will. urdon6tsdly. be used
N future Tor other purposes
Fer several yesrs Nellie smiths health
has been poor. For the past iew weeks she
has been suffering With neuralgia Of TIE
stomach. but her condition vas net such as
q canse alarm 60 her friends. Last estur-
1sv morning when the raid wss male upon
her house she vas compelled % rise from
= sickaeti and oten the door of her room 10
scmit the oihcers She vas told that she
must accompany the police 70 Headquarters
bnt she onlp succeeded m rescaiug TIE door
where from fright and excitement coupled
vith her sickness. sas tel in FAINT on the
focr and Wa carried 70 her bed which she
never sEsln ieft She has grown worse
rsridiv since and bss al the time insisted
shaf sue wouli never crow better. She vas
taken win suasm Yesterday morning
about 50 o'eIock snd Dr. Fiie. hsr phvsi.
cian. summoned Recovering. she faintiv
uslfr,nure.i. Eddie-Iavver ard p mes
senzer vas sent flr her son and az Attorney
a. make her vii. At III s. few minutes
beftYre their arrival. soe raiss.i herself rn n
tei looksd around Der. whispered r n
happy aow sas tie sririi Of Neiiie Smith
took - ai1bt
The aeeaased wss s. vssrs u
aEe ard Vas born IN PIainfelsf
township - this conntV. she has
three sisters Nrs Whirnev. ~ Hastings
Mrs.. j.. g. CrDftv. of Maskpxou. Mrs
kar@hsl. ~ Wvofainz township. snd a
traf1er. = weil-so-sio farrnsr IN lak1ta.
Warren ~Iuita. TIRE 1san Who wrecked
her tie fied IN iiis city q fsE years sree
n sh.ecl poverrv he aecA-ne vicsira
~ drink and before 1.s asarb. there ~are
pore ieil aascng ais ED friends or relatives